The magic cards I made are absolutely flawless!

"It's good to be young; you're more receptive to advice."

Dekan sighed, unsure who he was alluding to, but he quickly felt his heart clench and changed his tune:

"Of course, one doesn't need too much advice in life. Talomatti, your mind is much more mature than mine as your older brother. Just do what you want to do."

Talomatti looked at Dekan with a puzzled expression, then his slightly furrowed brows quickly relaxed.

She felt as if someone had held a knife to her brother's neck and forced him to praise her.

But this kind of older brother isn't bad either.

That's what she thinks.

"Talomati, would you like some fructose?"

Dekan asked, as if changing the subject, that he had bought a lot of portable desserts on his way to the Holy Kingdom.

"No, we're not far from our destination yet. I'd rather have breakfast now."

Talomatti shook his head and said honestly.

"really."

Dekan chuckled, relaxed his hand on the car window, leaned back in his seat, and gazed at the pasture that was gradually becoming clearer.

This is not the holy city.

It was Morpes's residence.

For Dekan, it was just a convenient route; it would only take less than half a day to extend the journey from the Demon Realm to the Holy City before passing through Morpes's location.

However, when Dekan learned about Morpurse's current situation, he was slightly surprised.

He didn't live a luxurious old age like a nobleman, but lived on this peaceful and beautiful natural land and pastures, showing no signs of wealth whatsoever.

He was also rightfully granted a title, official position, and territory by Lenn.

But now he has become the poorest lord, as if he has no desires or wants.

He even gave away the entire business guild that he had built up over most of his life to the Holy Kingdom.

However, Morpurse now lacks the resources to continue operating the Chamber of Commerce.

It's uncertain whether, given his physical condition, he will be able to survive the harsh winter that is about to begin.

……

Dekan got off the car on a hillside where there were still some trees, paid the old driver his fee, and said goodbye.

Their demonic identities went unnoticed by anyone along the way.

As a matter of necessity, Talomatti habitually maintains a spell that shields himself and Dekan from magical perception.

Unless one is a ninth-tier powerhouse skilled in reconnaissance magic, it is almost impossible to detect the intensity of their magic power and their disguise magic.

Of course, apart from great mages like Pusel who possess an extremely strong instinct to see through things, very few people would specifically investigate whether the target in front of them is a demon using disguise magic.

Unless you are really suspicious, or you sense a dangerous aura or terrifying magic emanating from a suspicious person.

The current Demon King and Holy Emperor have already signed a peace treaty, and any violator will be punished by them personally or by sending trusted confidants.

As long as they are still alive, the threat posed by the demon race to humanity is no longer so great.

Dekan stood on the hillside, gazing at the simple pasture.

Your gaze enters the pasture, circles around the back of the cowshed, passes the haystack, and continues a little further.

There is a slightly old-fashioned—not very big—red-roofed wooden house.

Perhaps only enough for a small family to live on.

Even the roof and walls show signs of repair, but the repairs are done well, giving the house a more lived-in feel and a sense of history.

"Looks like this guy is doing pretty well."

Dekan let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief and exclaimed.

Just as he was about to take Talomatti toward the ranch.

He suddenly stopped.

The door of the ranch cabin slowly opened, and a young woman dressed in civilian clothes pushed out a wheelchair, in which leaned an old man with gray hair mixed with a hint of pear wood color.

The woman carefully pushed Morpheus's wheelchair down the steps, then turned around and closed the door.

Morpheus looked half asleep and pale, but the fresh air outside seemed to ease his expression considerably.

Dekan had already heard Eve tell him about the young woman's identity before he arrived.

She is not human, but a rare demon living in the Holy Kingdom, and also an eighth-tier great demon—Nightmare Atalia.

She was also Morpheus's first wife.

Even in the Holy Kingdom today, marriage between demons and humans is an absolute taboo.

It was Lenn who covered all of this up for Morpuse.

He not only gave Atalia a reliable Holy Kingdom identity, but also caused other supreme beings who could see through Atalia's identity to choose to turn a blind eye and never spread the matter.

After that long war, not many humans were willing to believe in demons.

But Lenn was one of them.

This is also the greatest secret that the Holy Emperor kept hidden from the public throughout his life.

371. Whom does Dekan choose to believe?

Atalia was pushing a wheelchair in the ranch, slowly leading Morpes to greet the morning sun.

For Morpheus, even something as simple as basking in the sun is a source of steady happiness every day.

Atalia's faint smile seemed to carry a hint of regret, but more so a sense of relief and appreciation.

Her appearance gave no indication whatsoever that she might be a demon.

You would only think of her as a gentle woman who was born and raised on this ranch.

far away.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Talomatti wondered if it was just his imagination—Dekan hesitated.

He seemed to be contemplating whether or not to disturb Morpuse, who was enjoying his retirement.

However, a moment's hesitation and conversation caused Atalia in the distance to abruptly stop her leisurely pace.

"!"

As if sensing a formidable enemy, her pleasant feeling vanished instantly, replaced by the tyrannical aura she possessed as a great demon.

She stood guard in front of Morpheus's wheelchair, her eyes fixed on the direction of the human twins in the distance.

Even though she realized the moment she saw the other party that he was a higher-ranking demon than her, her fighting spirit did not waver in the slightest.

As a member of the Great Demon Clan, it was impossible for her not to recognize those two demons.

Although she still couldn't detect any shielding magic on Talomatti and Dekan, she wasn't deaf!

"Atalia, they are my old friends, it's alright."

Morpheus squinted wearily, a faint sound escaping his lips.

Atalia reacted for a second, then calmed down, and her imposing aura subsided.

The idea that a demon king could befriend a human might sound utterly absurd, but strangely, she could understand it.

She nodded and whispered in Morpheus's ear, "Even if the Demon King wants to harm you, I will fight him."

And so, after Atalia put aside her hostility, the human twins in the distance quickly approached them.

"Lord Demon King, Lord Talomati."

Atalia instantly transformed into a demon noblewoman, respectfully performing the demonic salute to the two great demons.

She was respectful, but not as obsequious as other demons; she seemed to have a stance different from any other demon.

Dekan looked at the woman who bore a striking resemblance to the Nightmare Bishop.

He knew that Ataliyah of Nightmares, like the Nightmare Bishop, possessed a natural talent for acting.

She is mostly expressionless when she is with Morion, but she can easily portray whether she is lively, enthusiastic or aloof.

But at this moment, Atalia seemed to have no intention of acting at all, and she couldn't even hide the repulsion in her eyes at the Demon King's visit.

Dekan didn't know exactly what she was thinking, but he could roughly understand.

She was probably worried that the Demon King would take her, a traitor to the demon race, back with him.

The current Demon King, who always prioritizes stability, certainly doesn't want any powerful demons to remain openly within the Holy Kingdom's territory at this time. Otherwise, even if the Demon Realm isn't involved, they might still be dragged into this mess by those with ulterior motives.

Or perhaps she had already keenly sensed that the world was about to change.

The Holy Kingdom's twenty-four years of peace may soon be shattered; Lunn's fall is like a secret code etched into the mortal world.

Of course, she might just not want the Demon King to take away her husband's remaining life at this time.

Like Lenn, the Demon King is also caught in this unseen vortex, and no one knows whether he wants to escape the vortex or head towards its center.

Dekan's gaze bypassed Atalia and landed on Morps's aged yet familiar face, a slight smile appearing on his lips:

"Atalia, don't worry, I'll just come to see Morpes and then leave. If anything changes in the Holy Kingdom in the future, you can take Morpes back to the Demon Realm with you at any time."

Although I know the Demon Realm is not as beautiful as the Holy Kingdom.

In the end, Dekan didn't say that last sentence. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to say such a thing, whether as the Demon King or in front of his sister.

Atalia stared in surprise at this demon king, who was quite different from the legends of the demon world but somewhat similar to the absurd story described by Morps. Her gaze gradually softened, just as it had when she had pushed Morps for a walk earlier.

It turns out that this demon king wasn't so complicated and difficult to understand; he was just a demon like himself.

“Mr. Deloitte, I’ll go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for you.”

……

At the dining table just inside the cabin, Talomatti was sitting peacefully, eating his breakfast without a care in the world.